|
Post by Scott on Mar 10, 2024 19:29:51 GMT -5
In the middle of our session there were a series of sonic booms; I'm guessing a low flying meteor overhead.
|
|
|
Post by grodog on Mar 10, 2024 21:53:41 GMT -5
In the middle of our session there were a series of sonic booms; I'm guessing a low flying meteor overhead. An omen perhaps? Sounds like a good session. I love the machinations in Hommlet! Allan.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Mar 10, 2024 22:19:15 GMT -5
The party have no idea that the merchants are high level characters. They've made a few comments about them being 'just merchants'. They are in for a surprise.
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Mar 11, 2024 9:03:59 GMT -5
I can't read Rannos Davl and Gremag anymore without thinking about Dave Arneson and Dave Megarry... Did they actually play the traders in EGG's campaign version of this adventure, and were they evilly aligned? I remember reading somewhere that Arneson played the trader who was northwest of Hommlet on the way to Verbobonc and made his own list of stock and supplies and drew the map of the trader's establishment -- but I can't find the source right now. I assume that there was a time period when EGG was playtesting T1 when they still had their offices above the Dungeon Hobby Shop (at 723 Williams Street) and Arneson was still with TSR and EGG and Arneson were still getting along well enough to play together (perhaps early 1976).
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Mar 11, 2024 9:16:22 GMT -5
I don’t know for sure about Megarry, but Arneson did play the trader when EGG was running it as the office campaign.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Mar 11, 2024 9:18:09 GMT -5
Don’t know about alignments, never read a campaign report from the games before Robilar got involved.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Apr 20, 2024 22:43:31 GMT -5
At tonight's session the party went to capture Rannos and Gremag. They grossly underestimated how tough they would be (they were expecting 0 level merchants or low level adventurers at most) and the fight was much tougher than you'd expect it would be taking down a thief and assassin. To be fair their ACs were very good and the party is still 2nd-3rd level. Gremag assassinated the party magic-user (i couldn't believe he made his move silently, surprise, and assassination rolls) and rolled a 20 with his dagger of venom and took out the party thief. The party wanted to try to take prisoners but they got desperate and ended up killing them both. They want to try to get Terjon to cast a speak with dead. Next session they will be heading to Verbobonc to sell some of the magic items they found and try to raise the magic-user.
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Apr 21, 2024 12:05:38 GMT -5
Whoa, you don't pull any punches! One of the things I like about AD&D 1st edition is that vibe about how things can easily be much tougher or different than you assumed. That's a recurring Gygaxian theme.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Apr 21, 2024 13:38:50 GMT -5
When I'm running a more story-driven campaign, I will occasionally fudge some rolls or pull some punches if they're in a situation that is the result of bad luck, but when it's bad play, no mercy. Marching in there thinking it was going to be a cake walk, with no real plan, they got what they deserved. Plus they're still low enough level that nobody is really invested in the characters. And now they have a better idea of what they are dealing with.
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Apr 21, 2024 16:15:54 GMT -5
I'm glad to see you're still running your game. I'm still running mine every two weeks but I've fallen behind on writing detailed updates. The last session was mostly role-playing in Hochoch during the wintering over phase which involves a time jump of about four months in game time.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Apr 21, 2024 17:49:18 GMT -5
It’s been off and on lately: college visits, soccer. A 2 year old, conflicting schedules, but we get together when we can. I’m looking forward to pushing the timeline into the 580s.
|
|
|
Post by GRWelsh on Apr 22, 2024 11:26:25 GMT -5
Rannos Davl and Gremag in T1 make me think that there was a little bit of Blackmoor and/or Braunstein going on when this was originally playtested, perhaps in 1976 before Dave Arneson and Dave Megarry left TSR. The reason I say that is because from what I read Dave Arneson came up with the trading post and drew the map for it which was on the road to Verbobonc, and EGG later used that in the published version of Hommlet. But it was there from the beginning: Dave Arneson was playing a character likely to be at odds with other player characters. Having characters in the same setting played by different players with hidden agendas and potentially at odds with the other players is very Braunstein! When I played Braunstein with Dave Wesley the players were each given goals and objectives by the referee and not everything was as it seemed. And I know in the proto-D&D Blackmoor players were often at odds with each other, too.
|
|
|
Post by Scott on Apr 22, 2024 13:16:40 GMT -5
Yeah, I get that feel with a lot of the stories I’ve heard from them: D&D, Boot Hill, Metamorphosis Alpha. Individual motivation was always as important, if not more so, than party motivation.
|
|